Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Political Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt about the politicalprisoners(1) Gehad El Haddad, held in solitary confinement at Al Aqrab Prison, (2) Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, held in solitary confinement at Tora Prison, and (3) Essam El Haddad, held in solitary confinement at Al Aqrab Prison.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Egypt is an FCO Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights with the Government of Egypt. We have not raised these individual cases with the Egyptian authorities, but will continue to urge them to ensure all detainees benefit from the protections and rights afforded to them by the Egyptian Constitution and are treated in accordance with relevant international human right standards.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what institutional mechanisms for future involvement in EU foreign policy cooperation they envisage for the UK after Brexit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On leaving the EU, the UK will pursue an independent foreign policy. The future security partnership with the EU should respect both the EU's decision-making autonomy and the UK's sovereignty, and enable us to combine our efforts to the greatest effect where this is in our shared interest. We aim to be able to consult regularly with the EU, deliver operationally through EU mechanisms where this is in our shared interest, and work together on developing defence, cyber and space capabilities.

EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government in whichareas of foreign policy cooperation with the EU they hope to continue participating after Brexit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We intend to work closely on all existing areas of co-operation.

Russia: Chemical Weapons

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were aware that Russia had developed and produced Novichok for ten years; and if so, whether they made any complaint to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons or any other appropriate body.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary said on 18 March that we had information indicating that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents likely for assassination and, as part of this programme, Russia has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichoks. This is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.It is the responsibility of each State Party to the Chemical Weapons Convention to declare any chemical weapons or chemical weapon production facilities under its ownership or possession, and to destroy them. Russia should have done so.

China: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have, if any, regarding the whereabouts and well-being of Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin, a Chinese Catholic Bishop detained by Chinese police; and when they last raised withthe government of China the obligations of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion or belief.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports that Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin was detained by the Chinese Authorities on 26 March. My officials continue to monitor his case and seek further information about his whereabouts and condition.We regularly raise our concerns about human rights with the Chinese Authorities. The Prime Minister raised human rights when she visited China earlier this year. We last raised freedom of religion or belief at the UK-China human rights dialogue, which was held in Beijing on 27 June 2017. We also issued an Item 4 statement at the 35th UN Human Rights Council in the same month reiterating our concerns.

North Korea: Refugees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the arrest in China of seven North Korean refugees who were en route to South Korea; and whether they have made any representations on behalf of those individuals to the government of China, including raising the risks to the escapees of repatriation, and encouraging safe passage to South Korea.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports of a number of North Koreans being detained in China. We have not raised these individual cases with the Chinese Government. But we continue to emphasise to China that people fleeing North Korea should be treated as legitimate asylum claimants and should not be returned without their consent.The British Government actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.

Estonia: Defence

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have conducted with the government of Estonia to learn from recent hybrid threat activities targeting that state, to help prevent further hybrid threats against the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have a very strong and productive relationship with the Government of Estonia, and work closely together at ministerial and senior official level on a range of defence and security issues, including on how to tackle hybrid threats. We do so bilaterally and also through institutions such as the EU, NATO and the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has posted an adviser to the region who is responsible for enhancing the UK's co-operation with the Governments of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on these issues.

Intelligence Services: International Cooperation

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision is in place to allow Five Eyes nations to contribute support to one another (1) in preparation for, and (2) in the event of, a hybrid threat materialising.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We collaborate on a wide range of intelligence and security matters, on numerous channels. This includes exchanging information on shared security challenges and emerging threats. We would expect to be in detailed contact with our closest partners, in the event of a serious hybrid threat materialising.

Department of Health and Social Care

HIV Infection

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent on specialist HIV treatment and care in England in(1) 2014–15, (2) 2015–16, and (3) 2016–17.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data provided by NHS England on spend on specialist HIV treatment and care in England is shown in the following table. 2014/15£539.3 million2015/16£552.8 million2016/17£634.6 million

Department for Education

Academies: Pay

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that there is parity of pay between (1) teaching, and (2) non-teaching, staff working in different schools operated by the same multi-academy trust.

lord agnew of oulton: Academy trusts are free to set their own salaries, but these must reflect the complexity and size of the task and we expect these to be justifiable. Academy trusts are not obliged to follow the terms set out in the School Teacher Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), but must offer access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or local government pension scheme as applicable. Some academy trusts have chosen to follow the terms of the STPCD in relation to teachers and local government employee designation for non-teaching staff. Flexibility on pay enables academy trusts to reflect local circumstances and their recruitment and retention needs in their pay policies. Nevertheless, this must demonstrate value for money, and academy trusts must scrutinise all expenditure as a matter of course to ensure that money is spent wisely and decisions adhere to a robust evidence-based process.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Travellers: Caravan Sites

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to amend the reference to “travellers” in paragraph 62 of the draft National Planning Policy Framework, published on 5 March, to clarify whether the reference is to Irish Travellers.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The reference to “travellers” in paragraph 62 of the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is to ensure that those persons who are not covered under the definition in Annex 1 of the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) are covered by the NPPF, as clarified by the Written Ministerial Statement of 22 July 2015. The definition in the PPTS confirms that for the purposes of this planning policy, “gypsies and travellers” means persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, and that “travellers” includes “gypsies and travellers”. As part of the consultation on the draft NPPF, the Government has asked for comments on the text of Chapter 5, including paragraph 62. We welcome views on this issue in response to the consultation.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 8 March (HL Deb, col GC116), whether they will employ a standardised methodology for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation so that there is a transparent understanding of where the need for housing is most acute.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As part of the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework, the Government has asked for views on Chapter 5 - Delivering a wide choice of high quality homes. Paragraphs 61 and 62 of the consultation draft state that strategic plans should be based upon a local housing need assessment, conducted using the standard method in national planning guidance – and within this context, policies should identify the size, type and tenure of homes required for different groups in the community, including travellers. It also asks at question 41 whether any changes should be made to the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites as a result of the proposed changes to the Framework, and if so, what changes should be made. We welcome views on this issue in response to the consultation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries: Irish Sea

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for fisheries policy in the Irish Sea after the UK leaves the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Irish Sea is an important fishing ground for the UK’s Fisheries Administrations. Leaving the EU will provide an opportunity to reach new agreements on access and quota arrangements. We will be working to secure the best deal in the negotiations for the whole of the UK fishing industry. Our future vision for a sustainable fisheries policy will be set out in the Fisheries White Paper, which will be published in due course.

Farmers: Income

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total taxable income of UK farmers in each of the last ten years; and in each of those years, what were the total payments received by UK farmers from the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra produces annual estimates of the Total Income from Farming. This is the total profit from all UK farming businesses and measures the return to all entrepreneurs for their management, labour and capital invested. It does not include income to farmers or farming households from non-agricultural activities or sources. The total profit (Total Income from Farming) is the total net contribution minus depreciation of farm assets, payment of wages, rent, interest and taxes and addition of “subsidies on production”. As this is an aggregate measure of net profit (which is then subject to income tax), we are unable to say how much tax is actually paid as this will depend on how this profit is distributed across farms. Some farms will pay no income tax as their income is below the personal threshold limit, and others will pay tax at the higher rate. The “subsidies on production” includes payments to farmers from the Basic Payment Scheme, agri-environment schemes, less favoured areas support schemes, and animal disease compensation. £ billion (current prices)2007200820092010201120122013201420152016Total income from farming2.43.84.03.85.04.65.45.23.83.6Subsidies on production3.03.33.73.53.53.33.43.02.83.1

Horse Racing

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the current arrangements for the movement of thoroughbreds for racing and breeding purposes under the Tripartite Agreement will continue to 31 December 2020 throughout the implementation period agreed with the European Commission.

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding arrangements for the movement of thoroughbreds for racing and breeding purposes between the UK and the EU following the UK's withdrawal and the implementation period.

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received concerning the risks and opportunities to the thoroughbred racing and breeding sector arising from the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to support the British thoroughbred racing and breeding industries as the UK withdraws from the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government wishes to see the rules governing the movement of horses, including the TPA, continue through any implementation period; and expects this to happen. Our priority is for the movement of horses then to continue, following the UK's withdrawal and the implementation period, with minimal delay and bureaucracy, whilst safeguarding animal welfare, biosecurity and disease control. We are working with the sectors concerned, in order to deliver this and where change is necessary, to ensure it is in the UK’s best interests. Separately, the British Horseracing Authority, on behalf of the British thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, responded to the Migration Advisory Committee's call for evidence on the impact of EEA workers in the UK labour market. In addition, in April 2017, the Government implemented reforms to the Horserace Betting Levy which made it a requirement for offshore operators to pay the Levy for the first time. The Horserace Betting Levy Board estimates that the reformed Levy will generate c.£85m in 2017/18 - representing an increase of c.£20m compared to receipts from bookmakers in 2016/17 under the old system.

Department for Exiting the European Union

European Commission Representation in the UK

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of support being given by the European Commission Representation in London to organisations which oppose Brexit; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such assistance on UK–EU relations.

lord callanan: The Government is not aware of any such reports of support by the European Commission Representation in London. Like all diplomatic missions the EU delegation will speak to a range of stakeholders within their host country.

Trade: Anguilla

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Anguilla's reliance on trade with other non-UK EU Caribbean islands; and what consideration they have given during the Brexit negotiations to the case for continuing trade and other relations between Anguilla and those islands.

lord callanan: We are working closely with the Government of Anguilla in order to understand the extent to which they rely on the EU Overseas Countries and Territories for Trade, and the impact of EU exit on existing trading arrangements with its neighbouring islands. The Government is considering Anguilla's interests, just as it is considering the interests of all UK Overseas Territories as we move forward with our exit from the EU. The UK Government is fully committed to involving all the UK Overseas Territories in our planning as we leave the EU, and ensuring that their interests are properly taken into account.

Department for International Trade

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of making futuredeliveries of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia conditional on the government of Saudi Arabia making efforts to achieve peace in Yemen.

baroness fairhead: All export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all relevant factors at the time of application. A licence will not be issued for any country if to do so would be a breach of the Criteria. The policy remains as announced to parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014.http://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2014-03-25/debates/14032566000018/ConsolidatedEUAndNationalArmsExportLicensingCriteriaThe key test for the Government for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those weapons might be used in a serious violation of IHL. The situation is kept under careful and continual review.

Import Duties

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the UK’s ability to negotiate exemptions to trade tariffs, and (2) whether that abilitywill be stronger before or after the UK leaves the EU.

baroness fairhead: Currently as a member of the European Union the UK is bound by the Common Commercial Policy that delivers a trade policy for all 28 member states. On leaving the EU the UK will be free to conduct trade negotiations that promote specifically UK interests, and maximise the benefit of trade for UK producers and consumers.

Trade Barriers

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the position the UK would take in the event of a global trade war; and in particular, with whichcountry or countries the intend to ally the UK to maintain the current rules-based international trading system.

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to avert a global trade war.

baroness fairhead: The UK fully supports the global rules-based trade system, open and free trade, and measures to tackle unfair trade where necessary. We maintain our position that multilateral action and a balanced, proportionate, WTO compliant approach remain the best ways of resolving issues within international trade without the need for escalation.